The City of Pearls is gearing up to host yet another global conference, a joint meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Commission for East Asia and Pacific, and the UNWTO Commission for South Asia, from April 12 to 14.

The meeting will also feature UNWTO conference on ‘Sustainable Tourism Development’, which will include a global review of sustainable tourism development and sustainable practices as well an industry and media perspective on sustainable criteria for tourism. The conference will be held at Hotel Park Hyatt on April 12. The joint conference will be held at Taj Falakuma Palace on the next two days.

The conference is expected to be attended by 250 delegates from across the world and they include representatives from governments and travel and hospitality industries. About 100 to 125 delegates from UNWTO member-countries are expected to attend the joint commission meeting.

India, the current chairperson of UNWTO Regional Commission for South Asia, accords great importance to sustainable tourism and, as its commitment towards it, has developed a code for ‘Safe and Honourable Tourism’ and sustainable criteria for accommodation and tour operators sector.

UNWTO is the United Nations agency responsible for promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. As the leading international organisation in the field of tourism, it promotes tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth and development. It advocates tourism as a priority in national and international policies..

According to Union minister of state for tourism K Chiranjeevi, the need of the hour is not tourism growth alone but development of tourism in a sustainable manner. During the conference exchange of ideas will take place on the way to develop tourism in a sustainable manner. India has been working with UNWTO closely for the cause of developing nations.

‘’Our initiative at the international level to host the two events, no doubt, will go a long way in highlighting India’s role in promoting global and regional tourism in sustainable manner for the economic growth, employment generation and social integration, ‘’ he said at pre-conference meeting in Delhi.

South Asian region has rich and varied tourism products to attract visitors from the world over – with heritage and culture dating back to thousands of years, architectural and natural marvels, an unmatched bio-diversity and home to almost all the world religions. But its market share of South Asia in world tourist arrivals is a mere 1.30 percent.

On a positive note, the average annual growth in international tourist arrivals in the region during 2005 to 2011 was 7.2 pc as compared to the world annual average growth of 3.5 pc during the same period.

AP to be showcased to delegates

The occasion will provide a good opportunity to the state government to promote tourism in the state. The delegates will be treated to the rich cultural heritage of the region along with the famed cuisine. Dinners and cultural programmes  will be organised at Taramati Baradari, Golconda Fort, Shilparamam and Ramoji Film City. There will also be a tour of Buddhist heritage sites at Nagarjuna Sagar and Nagarjuna Konda.

Source: The New Indian Express

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